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She sucked in a breath, trembling in my arms.

The guard passed by before either of us dared to make another move.

Soon, I promised myself, eager to return to our rooms once this business was done. Ayla’s plump lips tightened in determination even as her hand lingered by my side.

“Soon,” she agreed.

I wrapped her hand in mine and led the way, following the perimeter of the grounds until we returned to the guest wing. Despite our silence, Ayla stayed close, and only once we approached the structure did she speak, her tone serious. “I don’t think it’s a mere chance that there’s a shard bearer amongst the visitors.”

“Agreed. This assembly is much more than an opportunity to decide how much they’ll charge for fae lights.”

“The shard bearers will need to make new plans now that Inarus has fallen,” she added.

I nodded severely, loving how we thought alike and hating how we’d reached the same dangerous conclusions.

Her gaze darted toward the guest wing. “So where is the shard?”

Once again, I sank into the Underworld, seeking out threads of purple light and finding it far easier now that I held a second shard in my cloak’s pocket.

I didn’t like what I saw.

“By Teyr,” I cursed, opening my eyes to count the doors.

Righteous anger coursed through my veins. None of this made any sense, and not for the first time, I felt like a pawn in his game.

“Who has the shard?” Ayla pressed.

“It’s three shards,” I corrected. “And they belong to the Starlit King.”

Chapter eight

Secrets and Starlight

Ayla

The flirty fun of sneaking around with Zayne sank in my stomach as wariness washed over me instead.“Threeshards?”

Zayne was silent for a long moment. “Maybe they belong to a member of his court.”

We glanced at one another uncomfortably, wishing he was right. But if the shards were in the Starlit King’s rooms, he had to know they were there.

“Butwhy?” I pressed. “Not even half an hour ago, he toasted to the future of the Isles—one free from shades blocking the trade route. A bright futurewithoutGloom.” If he controlled three of seven shards, why hadn’t he acted against Inarus earlier?

Zayne didn’t answer. Instead, he offered his hand in preparation to shadow-step. “Let’s see what we can learn.”

Heart racing, I accepted, and as the darkness swallowed us, I fought the fear that we were walking into a game much larger than either of us could see.

We landed in a vast living room. Looking around, I had no doubt these were the rooms reserved for the Starlit Court.Luxurious fabrics draped from every surface, the remainder shining with jewels. The living space overlooked the cliff, floor to ceiling windows opening to a stately balcony.

A member of the court was passed out on one of the couches, the drink on the table suggesting they’d already partied to the point of exhaustion.

There were several doors behind us and a staircase leading upstairs. Zayne paused, his body stiffening as he searched for the shards once again.

I waited, my gaze darting across the room, searching for any threat. Watching his still chest brought back memories of the night he had almost died, and I startled as the lone fae snored, his chin dipping further against his chest. Holding my breath, I confirmed nothing else moved.

“Upstairs,” Zayne whispered, pointing to the ceiling near the windows. Relieved, I exhaled.

He shadow-stepped us up the flight of stairs and into a long hallway. Several doors lined the hall, but fortunately, there was only one to the side of the sea. Presumably, it was the largest room—the space the Starlit King would surely claim for himself.